A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR We the people, are not created equal. Our genes, level of wealth and privilege are inherited. Although, wealth and privilege can sometimes be elevated within a lifetime, genes , DNA and what makes up a person’s bloodline are definite. We inherit eye color, hair color, height, physical features, even the likelihood to develop specific diseases as well as addictions carry on through our ancestry. If your parents are tall then you’ll most likely be tall. If your parents are brunette then you’ll most likely be brunette. If you have read this far then you are most likely saying to yourself, “No shit.” Any functioning human being with a high school education can tell you that biological traits are passed down from one generation to the next. There are some scenarios in which a certain characteristic skips a generation but it still exist in the family tree. As far as wealth and privilege, these are gifts bestowed to the children of the wealthy and the privileged. These advantages serve as a higher platform to obtain success compared to the platform a child of the less fortunate springs from. If you are attractive and rich there is a higher possibility to succeed than a person that is less attractive and of lower financial resources. There are unattractive rich people, there are attractive poor people and vice versa. There is a broad spectrum of human attributes which is relative to each person accordingly. This doesn’t mean that people should be treated unequally as human beings in a social context or that people should be treated unequally according to the law of the land due to their level of wealth and/or attractiveness but it does mean there are obvious advantages as well as disadvantages that are inherited in each family tree, comparatively. Nature is what gives us what we initially inherit as human beings from our bloodlines. Nurture, on the other hand is always the parallel mentioned to nature that helps identify what makes up a complete human being. Nature may dictate certain capacities but nurture heavily influences the psyche as far as why we make the decisions we do. Nature may give a human being a relative range of abilities but nurture can enhance or stifle those abilities. The way we are nurtured is a form of inheritance. How we were raised and what we experienced growing up heavily affects the way we navigate through life. Often times, what the kid sees is what the kid does. As a person grows to become an adult, there are revelations along the way of that journey that clear the path to forge ahead and if you’re lucky those revelations will lead to a moment of acceptance, accepting that regardless of our inheritance or lack thereof, it’s now time to make our own decisions, accepting that everything you’ve experienced in life has a secret meaning for you and who you are suppose to be, and accepting that these revelations, moments, as well as decisions that are influenced by your inheritance can very well lead you to “simple” and/or “ordinary” destiny. There are plenty of teachers, plumbers, nurses, roofers, mechanics, firemen and nannies that are perfectly happy living their “ordinary” lives and working their “ordinary professions.” These are the professions that are often looked at as lead by people with “ordinary destinies,” but these are extraordinary people doing extraordinary work for their families and their community. These are jobs that require a person of accountability, responsibility, common sense, and skill. These people aren’t entertainers, athletes, rappers, actors, writers, photographers, models, dancers, producers, filmmakers, and/or some kind of artist. These are the people that actually have jobs and are getting paid as well as paying taxes for the infrastructure of society and running it on a daily basis. These people are the very lifeblood of society. But, what about the dreamers? What about people that want to make a living from their “art?” There is only one way to do that, you have to be a genius. You have to be a genius at what you do. That is next level, that is high compensation, that separates. But, genius isn’t necessarily inherited nor is it necessarily a product of nurture. Genius is natural born talent that has been cultivated and applied. We find evidence in genius athletes that may have not inherited wealth but rather are from the ghettos of USA and are graced with a genius ability in sport which makes them become highly sought after professional athletes. Over six feet tall, long arms, fast, strong, good vision which can be attributed to biological inheritance but the next level to elevating it to genius athlete level is cultivating a higher plateau of athleticism and mental strength that separates the athlete from their peers by simply but ironically not so simply, working hard. A person must have the gift in the form of whatever genius they wish to be, to be what they want to be, in their respective arts but to achieve genius status they must also work at it. An “ordinary” person, under six feet, average arms, average speed, average strength, good vision couldn’t possibly think they could compete with a genius level professional athlete with superior attributes with the gift of operating on a higher plane in regards to athleticism, especially if the “gifted one” cultivated their natural talent and the other party had not worked on developing their skill. What makes people think those same rules don’t apply in any other art form? This doesn’t mean an “ordinary” person is of less value, in fact they very well maybe geniuses at a different particular avenue of endeavors but we are confining this application of genius to the fine arts for the sake of argument as well the romanticization of the fine arts in popular culture. There is a great saturation in these fields because there are a large number of people that want to be geniuses at something that they’re not. Tupac and Biggie were genius rappers, what is the likelihood that you are? Al Pacino and Tom Hanks are genius actors, what’s the likelihood that you are? Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola are genius directors, what’s the likelihood that you are? Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton are genius actresses, what’s the likelihood you are? There is no likelihood, there is only, you got it or you don’t. You’re a genius at that particular thing or not. Wishing to be a genius at something will not make you a genius at it, even working hard at it won’t necessarily get you there. Yes, hard work goes a long way and it can possibly get a human being very close to genius level. Brushing aside hard work is a mistake that some “gifted” yet lazy people do that eventually reach their demise by a hard worker. Although, a “gifted” person with natural talent that also works hard compared to a person that has not been bestowed with the gift of genius from the universe, even if the “non-gifted party” works hard, is exposed to stark difference that clearly separates the respective parties, ultimately seeing the “gifted” party prevailing in whatever discipline that they are gifted in. There is no way of knowing where the next “gifted” coder or scientist will be born or even the next “gifted” rock star or painter will born but we do know that you can’t wish for the gift. A fish can’t climb a tree. Editor in Chief, Francisco Leal
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